Careless Singing Costs Lives

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

He suspects, but he does not know – not yet.

Underestimation of the Enemy, my precious... Ahh.. this arrogant Glad...

[Elmo]

Well he'd know if Frodo blurted it out to an orc or Gandalf sang about the wrong thing surely. Aragorn scolded Frodo about talking about the ring outside Lorien didn't he?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Elmo

Well he'd know if Frodo blurted it out to an orc or Gandalf sang about the wrong thing surely. Aragorn scolded Frodo about talking about the ring outside Lorien didn't he?

Yes, that's true. Although Aragorn maybe was a little more careful, you know, being too much of a "simple man" (meaning in contrary to the really Wise, like Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel, Elrond...). I think in Aragorn's case it may have been really closer to "simple man's superstition" - just because he heard from Gandalf and others, rather than the thing proved by his own rational reflection, if you know what I mean? "It is taboo to speak about the Rings aloud," but why in particular, few people actually ever thought about that.

Anyway, I don't think one Orc knowing about Galadriel's Ring this way would help. You see, desinformation is always a threat, and also verified sources are necessary. If an Orc came to Sauron, saying: "I heard a hobbit saying that Galadriel has an Elven Ring," would he take it as a proof? Hardly. Of course he presumed already the possibility, but this thing does not help him at all. In the best case, he would at least go and catch the Hobbit. And when interrogating him, as a (reputedly) first-hand witness, he could ask some things to verify, like "what stone did it have", "what was inscribed on the ring" etc. Sauron, like the Ring-loremaster, could then perhaps have some more evidence. But still, I cannot think now, for myself, about any thing that I would consider proving 100% that Galadriel is the one having the Ring - except for meeting her in person. This is perhaps why Sauron did not know. It would have to be, possibly, some "high divination magic" - like, I could imagine something like a special Mirror of Galadriel, if it was possible to attune it the right way, you could let's say see in it somebody wearing a Ring of Power, and the Ring would shine on its finger (so the Mirror would bring your attention to it). But it was hard to have such thing in M-E, and the Rings and similar things were usually capable of rather "hiding" themselves from the sight of the observer.